Clay McGaughy Watercolor Artist

Clay McGaughy is a San Antonio artist who received his degree in art from the University of Texas..

He also has a diploma from the Famous Artists’ Course for illustration.
His work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the U.S., including the Grand Central Gallery and the Crossroads of Sport in New York. He has been a member of the San Antonio Watercolor group, the Coppini group, the San Antonio Art League, the Society of Animal Artists, and is a past president of the Texas Watercolor Society. His work is in the collection of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, and he was the San Antonio Art League’s “Artist of the Year” in 1976.
He formerly taught summer seminars at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas, and for several years was invited to show in Game Coin International’s bi-annual wildlife art exhibit in San Antonio.
Clay was featured in the January 1978 issue of Southwestern Art and has done covers and illustrations for Texas Game and Fish, True West, Texas Highways, American Artist, The Artists’ Magazine, Progressive Farmer, and Outdoor Life. Selections of his paintings are included in the books, Texas Hill Country and Pecos to Rio Grande, published by Texas A & M Press.
In 1980, Clay was commissioned to do a painting for the Gulf Coast Conservation Association’s series of limited edition fishing prints. He was selected by Ducks Unlimited to be the 2002 Texas Artist of the year. His popular series ,”Reflections”, and subsequent giclee prints of wildlife and the outdoors continue to be published.

ARTIST BIO

Landscapes, Country and City Scenes, Wildlife and Sporting Art

Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, 1931, moved to San Antonio, TX, in 1933

Graduated from Alamo Heights High School, 1948

Attended Trinity University and graduated with a B.S. in art from Texas University, in 1953

Completed Famous Artists School’s correspondence course

Served two years in the Army in training aids branch of Medical Field Service School at Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio

Did covers and illustrations for various magazines, including Texas Game and Fish, True West, Safari, Progressive Farmer, and Outdoor Life

Voted 2002 Texas Ducks Unlimited “Artist of the Year,” and painted an annual limited edition print for members

Arts in Parks annual calendar and posters in 1995

San Antonio Art League’s “Artist of the Year” in 1976

Two paintings in the collection of the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio

Works are included in books, Texas Hill Country, and Pecos to Rio Grande. Also in Strokes of Genius (drawings);

Painted a series of 23 point-of-sale regional wall transparency signs for Pearl Brewery Company

Attended seminars by John Pike and Millard Sheets

Taught summer sessions at the Hill Country Arts Foundation in Ingram, Texas, for 27 years

Member of the San Antonio Art League and is a past president of the Texas Watercolor Society

Was a member of the Society of Animal Artists

Member of San Antonio’s “Watercolor Gang,” whose world-wide painting excursions produced “travelogue exhibits” of France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Alaska, and many locations in the U.S.

Has exhibited and had shows in galleries in San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Corpus Christi, Sedona, AZ, Santa Fe, NM, and Grand Central Galleries in New York

Published “Reflections,” a series of prints of wildlife and sporting art, distributed by Arts Limited in the 1970’s and ‘80’s

Present galleries: home and Collectors’ Covey in Dallas

Currently resides with wife, Patsy, in San Antonio.

A Thought about Art

Art to me is – – a simple pleasure. I tire of the obtuse statements of philosophy we so often hear from artists, for to me it is less complicated.

There seems to be something instinctive in man that yearns for the aesthetic.

Though the arts seem a less “productive” enndeavor to society, this subtle drive has been with us since history was recorded on rocks and buried in the soil.

Anthropologists must know the reason, or have theories. I do not know why – – only that is is so. As we are lulled by Brahms, enraged by Orozco, and provoked by Kubrick, we know that there is depth of communication, an intuitive understanding through the arts – – and perhaps that is the reason for the arts.

Whatever, I am pleased to simply “let it out” and speak as best I can with my brush, for there is a deep, instinctive pleasure in sharing my concepts with others.